More from Ben Burke
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Baby formula shortage gets worse in April, may not end ‘any time soon’
According to data from Datasembly, the ongoing baby formula shortage got worse throughout the month of April. After hovering between 2% and 8% in the first half of 2021, the out-of-stock rate of baby formula jumped to 23% in January, 29% in March, 31% in mid-April, and up to 40% by Apr. 24. “Inflation, supply… -
Supreme Court abortion opinion protests continue, Senate vote set
Protests over last week’s leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion carried into the weekend. The opinion, which addresses the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, appears to indicate that the court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade. Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities. One of the more… -
Sri Lankan prime minister resigns amid protests over economic crisis
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaska announced on Twitter that he has submitted his letter of his resignation to his brother, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Monday’s resignation came after weeks of protests over the country’s worst economic crises in decades. “We are here to protect our country from the Rajapaksas who have dragged this… -
Judge clears Marjorie Taylor Greene to run for reelection, final call awaits
Georgia state Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot recommended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) be allowed to run for reelection in November’s midterms. Friday’s decision is in response to a lawsuit filed by voters in Rep. Greene’s district, The lawsuit claimed Greene was ineligible to run because she helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the… -
Gas leak causes explosion at five-star hotel in Havana
The heart of the Cuban capital of Havana was rocked by a massive explosion at a five-story hotel in the Old Havana neighborhood. Local authorities reported at least eight deaths, and local newspaper Granma reported local officials said 13 people were missing. Cuba’s national health minister told The Associated Press that hospitals had received about… -
China enters Taiwan’s air defense zone, Blinken warns of disinformation
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry announced on Twitter that 18 aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army flew into its air defense zone. The ministry said aircraft included six Chinese J-11 fighters, six J-16 fighters and two H-6 bombers. The bombers, accompanied by a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, flew to the south of Taiwan through the Bashi Channel. The… -
WHO: COVID-19 pandemic caused nearly 15 million excess deaths
The World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in nearly 15 million excess deaths between January 2020 and December 2021. Scientists estimated between 13.3 million and 16.6 million people died either due to the coronavirus directly or because of factors attributed to the pandemic’s impact on health systems. The WHO… -
Report: US intel helping Ukraine kill Russian generals
The United States has been giving Ukraine real-time battlefield intel that directly helped Ukrainian forces kill many of the Russian generals who have died in the Ukraine war, according to a report from the New York Times. Ukraine has previously claimed to have killed at least 12 Russian generals. The report declined to say if… -
Tornadoes hit Texas, Oklahoma; more severe weather expected
Residents in mostly rural communities of Texas and Oklahoma have begun cleaning up the damage left behind by tornadoes. As of Thursday morning, there had been no reports of serious injuries or deaths. Several roads and highways were closed Thursday morning in parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas because of flash flooding. “We’ve lost power. It… -
Attacker tackles Dave Chappelle on stage during Netflix comedy festival
A man tackled comedian Dave Chappelle as he was performing on stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The man, Isaiah Lee, was arrested and booked into jail early Wednesday morning for assault with a deadly weapon. “The suspect produced what was later discovered to be a replica handgun and pointed the item at… -
Trump-backed JD Vance wins Ohio Senate primary in packed field
In perhaps the most notable result of Tuesday night’s primary elections in Ohio in Indiana, author and former investment banker JD Vance won the Republican primary for Senate in Ohio. The video includes clips from his victory speech. Vance won the primary with 32.20% of the vote, according to Ohio’s elections website. That total bested… -
Biden visits Lockheed Martin plant, touts investment in Ukrainian defense
In a timely escape from Supreme Court drama in Washington, President Joe Biden traveled to Alabama to tour a Lockheed Martin plant. The plant has provided some of the Javelin antitank weapons systems the United States has sent to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion. “You’re allowing the Ukrainians to defend themselves. And… -
Biden responds to leaked Supreme Court draft reversing Roe v. Wade
President Joe Biden released a statement in response to a Politico report which appears to include a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. The report came out Monday night. “If the Court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect…